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Parliament of Canada with Party List Proportional Representation
Electoral Method House of Commons Members of Parliament are elected for a 4 year term, subject to a motion of no confidence against the government. A motion of no confidence against a specific minister or the prime minister does not cause an election. The electoral method of the House of Commons is party-list proportional, using open lists, with the seat allocation formula of the Saine Lague method: Quota = V/(2s+1) Each region has a certain number of members of parliament based on population, with 37 members of parliament elected for the entire country as top-up seats for any imbalances caused by rounding errors. The regions are: * British Columbia 36 * Alberta 28 * Saskatchewan 14 * Manitoba 14 * Ontario 106 * Quebec 75 * Maritimes 25 * Newfoundland and Labrador 7 * Territories 3 In each province, provincial electoral commissions decide on how to create electoral districts, however, no district may have fewer than 12 members unless that province has fewer than 28 members, no fewer than 14 if they have fewer than 50, and no fewer than 18 members if they have 50 or more members. There may not be more than 25 members per district. There is a 2.5% threshold to win a seat, or 4% for a coalition of two or more parties. The results are overseen by Elections Canada. Suffrage is universal for those who are 16 and older and have been resident in Canada for two years and have either citizenship or permanent residency cards. A ballot in Canada looks like this: Other Electoral Procedures A recall election may be initiated by a 15% petition in a province to revote for the members of parliament for that province, provided that an election has not happened in the preceding 12 months. A person must be 18 years old and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for 5 years to be a member of the House and 25 years of age and a citizen to be a nominee for Senate. An election is invalid if fewer than 50% of the population turns out to vote. 7.5% of the seats in each party's lists must hold Status Indigenous Cards, and at least 45% of each party's lists must be men and 45% must be women. 25% must be under the age of 30, none over the age of 80, no more than 75% from any one religious denomination, and they must be randomly placed on the party's lists. If a vacancy occurs midterm, the next person on the party list fills the seat in the House and in the event of a vacancy in the Senate, that province or territory fills that vacancy for the remainder of the term. A new nominee must be named within 60 days. No person may serve as a Cabinet Minister for more than 5 years out of any 15 years, nor Prime Minister for more than two parliamentary electoral terms, nor a member of parliament for more than 10 years, nor a Senator consecutively nor more than 12 years in their lives. Funding Each person in Canada who files independent taxes has a 150 dollar tax credit, and all cooperatives and organizations registered as non profit charities that are publically controlled have a 500 dollar tax credit. Other businesses have a 100 dollar tax credit each. Those with more than 100 employees are not eligible for the credit, nor are any businesses earning more than 10 million dollars in the last fiscal year they filed taxes for, nor individuals earning over 250 thousand dollars, before deductions. No party nor individual may receive money from outside of Canada, and no party may use money that did not originate in a particular electoral district and use it within a particular electoral district. It is illegal to collect more than 50 thousand dollars per candidate nor more than 5000 dollars in a day, more than 200 thousand dollars in a day for a party overall, and no more than 5 million dollars per election. Automated calling or automated advertising is prohibited. All donors must be recorded with their last initials, amount of dollars, and municipality registered, although not their names. No individual may provide more than 250 dollars to any individual candidate nor more than 500 dollars to a party, and not more than 1000 dollars overall. Giving any things of value other than a specific and public contract for use of communications (and such contract must not exclude or favour one candidate nor party over another), an amount of money, or volunteer time with only renumeration at cost of being there, and basic food, drink, and lodging, are prohibited. Timing Electoral campaigns last for 35 days, except in the case of referendums that do not amend the constitution, where the campaigning lasts for 21 days. The date is announted on the Monday following a motion of no confidence or when the President has dropped the writ for an election in either accordance with the decision of not selecting a prime minister who commands a minority government with no coalition or at the scheduled expiration after 4 years, plus or minus 2 months. Senate The Senate is split into two groups, half from each of the provinces (except for the territories which select only one member and the prime minister and opposition leaders' seats), and every 3 years, the provincial legislatures appoint 5 senators. They serve a 6 year term. The other group of senators are selected after three years, who also serve a three year term. The territorial senator seats are simply chosen every 6 years. The seats held by the prime minister and the leader of the opposition are rechosen every time there are new leaders. No money may be used in the election of a senator, other than being reimbursed for the absolute cost of being at the legislature to be presented for debate. Powers and Procedure The Parliament of Canada has many of the powers of oversight over the governing cabinet and coalition, as well as the ability to make laws for Canada or to veto ministrial regulations. They also confirm appointments to cabinet positions, must by an absolute majority in both Houses choose the prime minister, confirms federal judges nominated by an independent commission by a 2/3 majority in the House and 3/5 in the Senate, and may initiate a constitutional amendment by a 2/3 majority vote in each House. The President may either appoint the Parliament confirmed prime minister or hold a new election if there is a minority government and after 4 weeks of deliberations, no prime minister can be chosen. If the parliament can by a majority vote confirm the prime minister, that person must be chosen. The President is also chosen by the parliament, both House and Senate, and the legislatures of each of the provinces who convene in a joint session, who must by 2/3 majority nominate someone for president. Nominations must receive 1/5 of the members of the joint session's support. The House of Commons may override the Senate by a 3/5 majority, if the Senate has taken more than 2 months to deliberate on an issue, except in the case of a constitutional amendment where 2/3 of both houses must approve the amendment, except for when the provinces or a petition successfully initiates the proposal. A Constitutional Amendment requires 2/3 of the provincial legislatures to propose an amendment, or 2/3 of each house of Parliament to propose an amendment, or 25% of those citizens who are over 16 to file a petition within 180 days, and is approved by referendum passing with a 60% majority overall and if there are majorities in at least 2/3 of the provinces, with a turnout of at least 60%. All persons in Canada have the legal right to use English, French, or an Indigenous language in the parliament and official communications with the parliament, although an interpreter may be required. This interpretation is free of charge. All powers not reserved by the Parliament nor forbidden to the provinces and territories remain in the latters' domain. Initiatives Any person over 16 and who has a permanent residency card or citizenship may sign a petition. If that petition receives at least 5% of the number of voters in the last general election, the bill must be considered by parliament without a committee needed or being seconded in the parliament unless a referral to a Constitutional Court finds it unconstitutional (for instance intends to use powers reserved to provinces and the petition is passed around at the federal level). If it receives endorsement from either 1/4 of the parliament, two or more provincial or territorial legislatures or 10% of those who voted in the last election, then it goes to a direct referendum where it may not be amended except as explicitly permitted in the bill, and if it is amended, it must receive a 60% vote in both houses (without override by the House of Commons). After 5 years, by the proposal of parliament, it may be sent back to public referendum on whether or not to repeal the law or regulation. Impeachment The President, Independent Commissionaries, and Judges may be impeached by 3/5 of the House of Commons and a majority of the Senate (or 2/3 of the provincial legislatures) and an absolute majority in the Senate followed by a trial in the Supreme Court in the case of officials and judges other than Supreme Court judges and the President, and in the case of Supreme Court judges and the President, a trial with all of the other court judges in Canada sitting as one who vote by a 2/3 majority to convict. It may only be used for treason, bribery, violent crimes, theft over 10 thousand dollars, human trafficking, election related crimes, an actual or planned coup d'etat, and collusion with foreign governments or officials in an attempt to usurp power. Regulations Regulations may be passed only if the Minister given the specific authority in the law is given the permission to do so, and must get the advice and consent of the committee the law specified as being responsible for the law's implementation. Expiration All laws expire after 20 years, except when they empower citizens directly or give a right, or put a hindrence and limit on the goverment. A tax and/or budget bill expires every 10 years, and a totally new bill must be passed and start from scratch, no simple reauthorizations permitted. = Other Duties and Privileges Pay and Renumeration Members of Parliament, Cabinet Members, and Senators, each get a monthly salary of 3 thousand dollars per month, as well as 1000 dollars per year for every 10% reduction in the following social issues since the beginning of their terms: * Violent Crimes * People earning less than 15 thousand dollars per year not legally dependent on another person * Disease Outbreaks affecting more than 50 people, * Refugees outside of Canada who could be resettled in Canada * And every 0.5% of voters who did not receive a representative they voted for in Canada. If these figures were at 0% before their term, then they receive the stipend so long as it does not increase. They also get 20 dollars an hour for every hour spend in Parliament or in a Committee, every bill they vote yes, no, or register as absentaining on in a committee or parliament provided that at least 90 minutes consideration on each has been provided, or doing active work in their constituency for no other pay and renumeration other than the absolute cost of attendence\ They also must reside in accomodations that a person earning the median income in Canada earns in a year will be able to afford provided they do not spend more than 1/4 of their income on such residence. This applies both when they are in their constituency and when they are in Ottawa or some other public function. This requirement also extends to those who have been out of government or parliament for no fewer than 5 years. They also must for at least 60 consecutive days out of the year, spend no more on food and utilites than a person earning the second to bottom decile of income in Canada spends on food. They may not spend more on personal luxuries, utilities and food than a person earning 150% of the median income in Canada is capable of doing, assuming their spending on such luxuries and utilities comprise 1/2 of their after tax income. Their income is taxed, except for a 40 thousand dollar deduction. They have up to 4 weeks of personal leave time, however they may not take it during a regularly planned session. Parliamentary Privilege They are immune from criminal proceedings for any crime bearing a sentence of less than 90 days in prison without the consent of 2/3 of parliament, for other crimes, they may not have charges brought against them without the consent of the Supreme Court. They may not resign except with the consent of 2/3 of the parliament, unless criminal proceedings or the decision to initiate proceedings is under deliberation, in the event of criminal proceedings, they are suspended with only at cost of life pay with no voting power, and may not be replaced with another party list member. They may be expelled by 2/3 of the parliament voting against them provided a specific charge is laid against them, and if disputed by the member, may challenge the charges specified in the Supreme Court or Court of Appeal. Formal Questions Each member may submit a written question up to 10000 words long, and it must be answered by the minister responsible, If it involves a question about the impact or legal effect, a lawyer working for the minister must reply with the predicted impacts, and all government reports must be offered in a written and most up to date copy that is legally valid for the purposes of court interpretation. They may also ask any verbal questions up to 5 minutes long in the parliament chamber. If they formally introduce a bill, they also have 5 minutes to explain the purposes of the bill and the predicted effects. If 1/20 of the parliament in either house (17 MPs or 6 Senators) demands, the executive must hand over any and all documents of any sort or nature without exception to every member of the entire parliament. There is no exception for documents on the claim of national security or executive privilege. The only redactions that may be made, and must be overseen by a federal judge, is the personal information of those who are not public figures and are private citizens who do not receive a benefit from the government except for a benefit they are entitled to under a generalized law or regulation, other than contracts. Senators Senators may not introduce tax bills or budget bills, and they may only reject or approve of bills, they may not amend them, except by 3/5 majority. Committees There are committees in the Parliament. Committees each have the power to introduce a bill into parliament. They are: And two joint committees of members of both houses for these functions: * Library of Parliament * Scrutiny of Regulations Committee Membership Each committee has their members decided by using the Sainte Lagre method to decide which members of which party are on the committee and using sortition among those who have filed a request to be on the registrar for membership on each committee, decides which party members are on each committee. The chairs are ceremonial and only maintain order, and rotate each meeting. 1/5 of each committee's membership must second a motion to procede. A bill must be seconded by 1/5 of each house to be considered, unless it receives approval in at least one committee. 5 members (3 in the senate committees) are invited from the general public to be on the committee, nominated at random akin to jury duty, however, one may decline to attend and if so, a new member will be randomly chosen, and may vote with the full power of the other members. They receive a stipend to cover the costs of them being at the committee, as well as the right to the job they held prior to becoming a committee member. They serve for up to 12 months, with 4 weeks of assured break time. Each committee has at least 21 members, not including those public members. They must rotate out of the committee after being on it for 12 months. Ministers require consent from a majority of official legislators in addition to a majority on the entire committee to pass a regulation.